Wisconsin GOP Now The Donor Bellhop Party

On top of disclosures that Oconomowoc GOP State Rep. Joel Kleefisch had twice legislated for a donor comes news that State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, (R-River Falls), got Senate to pass her bill to pay a Hudson, WI businesswoman/donor's $217,000+ claim against the state even after other officials had rejected the claim and a review board set up to handle such disputes told the donor to take her case to court.

Harsdorf's bill now goes to the Assembly. Let's hope it dies there, as did Kleefisch's most recent legislative favor - - too much even for righty talker Charlie Sykes to swallow - - for a donor who got to help write the bill.

Kleefisch's donor, a multimillionaire business owner, was looking for legislation to help reduce child support payments.

Special-interest legislating for donors became this administration's business-as-usual model when Gov. Walker, within days of taking office, prevailed on the Legislature to quickly approve a bill so one of his donors could fill a wetland near Lambeau Field for a developer before official reviews had been completed.

The move caused such a stink that the business ticketed to move into the development - - a recreational fishing retailer - - withdrew its plan.

On a larger scale, the controversial open-pit iron mine proposed by GTac near Lake Superior in Northwest Wisconsin is on a planning fast-track because legislators let the company help write the bill.

The process raised so many questions that when the bill finally got introduced, no legislator's name appeared as a sponsor.

Mining company leaders and pro-mining interests have made multiple donations to Walker and key legislators exceeding $15 million, records show, 

Special access to power and the legislative process cuts out everyday citizens and is not in the public interest.

Cross-posted at Purple Wisconsin.